Mat.



A. C. HAYDEN.

MAT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 30, I91].

1,288,409. Patented Dec. 17,1918.

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ARTHUR, G. HAYDEN, OF BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HAYDEN &

OLEMONS, INC., 033 BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSA- CHUSETTS.

MAT.

Leas es.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1?, rate.

Application filed November 30, 1917. Serial No. 204,676.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it @own that T, AnTHUR C. HAYDEN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Brockton, county of Plymouth, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Mats, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts in each of the several views.

This invention relates to mats for entrances, passage-ways, and the like, made up of pieces of suitable material such as sole leather died out and made up into blocks which may be in the form of links and assembled on cross rods in alternating relation. In mats thus constituted anobjection has arisen from the fact that there is apt to be a distortion and relative displacement of the leather pieces constituting the front edge of the mat, these being apt to be kicked or knocked up from their normal fiat lying position so as to constitute an obstacle. One important object of the present invention is to provide means adapted to be assembled with, and embodied in, the front edge of such a mat whereby this tendency to kicking or scuffing up of the front edge of the mat is avoided, and the front edge made to present a substantially continuous fiat surface, the forward portion of which may be inclined so as to still further avoid any upstanding shoulder or le%e apt to catch the toe of pedestrians. A rther object is to provide improved means whereby mat portions may be adjoined together into a substantially continuous entity for making up a runner or elongated mat formation, such as might be required in long passageways and halls. The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description, and the distinctive features of novelty will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view showing a portion of a mat constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a similar transverse section'showing the manner in which abutting portions of adjacent mat formations may be joined together to coitute a continuous runner;

alternating relation on the cross rods 11 to make up a mat of the type to which the present invention relates, these individual link blocks being built up as shown of a series of died out link elements of sole leather or like material, four of these leather pieces being shown as at 12 as constituting each link block, this number however being of course merely illustrative. At the front edge of the mat thus made up it has hitherto been customary to fit on the foremost cross rod 11 to fill the spaces between the link blocks, filler blocks died out as round pieces of sole leather. This formation has however had the objection of presenting a ledge or shoulder apt to be caught by the foot of pedertrians and kicked up or disarranged, this tendency being accentuated from the fact that no means have been available. to

rigidly tie and unite all the pieces constituting the front edge portion of the mat together against relative displacement and disarrangement. In accordance with the present invention 1 provide a series of blocks 13 preferably metallic, though other materials may be used, formed with tongues 14 of a width to fit between adjacent link blocks 12 and having holes 15 therethrough through which the foremost rod 11 is fitted. The forward portions of these blocks are of a width so that they everlap the forward edges of thelink blocks 12, preferably and as shown, to near the center thereof so that when the blocks 13 are all in place their end edges substantially abut as shown at 16. The forward portions of these blocks 13 are beveled as seen at 17 so that as said blocks lie on their flat bases 18, the portions 17 present faces of an easy or gradual incline offering no abrupt shoulder to be caught by the foot, but on the contrary tending, as the foot engages thereagainst with more or less of a scufing movement, to press the front edge of the mat down more closely on the floor surface, and prevent, instead of cansing, a kicking up of the front edge of the mat. The forward portions of these blocks through which is passed a stout rod 20, thus tying all of said blocks together and making thereof a substantially unitary edge plate, the several portions of which have a capability of adapting and forming themselves to inequalities in the floor surface, the rod 20 for this purpose having a notv too close fit through said holes. In. accordance with my invention the provision of the blocks 13 with their inclined forward edges may also be made use of to unite together a plurality of mat formations at their abutting edges when the same are to be used to constitute a continuous runner or elongated mat. F or this purpose the forward beveled portions of the blocks 13 are provided with vertically extending holes 21, and upon one mat portion being laid so that the blocks 13 thereof present their inclined faces upward, the next mat portion is turned over with its reverse side up so that the blocks 13 thereof present their inclined faces downward inwhich position they are adapted to lie flush against the inclined faces 13 of the first mat portion as indicated at 22. Thereupon tie rivets or pins 23 may be passed through the holes 21 of the thus superposed series of blocks 13, 13* holding these securely together. It is sometimes preferred, and as shown in Figs. 8 and 4, to permanently fix the pins 23 in one of the series of the plates 13, but this is entirely optional, and said pins may be secured in either of the series of plates 13, or may be detachable from both as preferred. By referring to Fig. 3 it will be noted that when the series of blocks 18 of one mat portion A are assembled the series 13 of the other mat portion B, said two series of bloclrs constitute virtually a single connect-- ing linh series between two met portions,

zines-nee not greatly dissimilar in appearance to the rest of the mat, and offering no appreciable shoulder or obstacle to the foot. I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing description, to indicate the scope of the. invention,

Having described my invention, what ll claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A mat, composed of link blocks built up of died out pieces of sole leather or like material, and assembled on cross rods in alternating relation, and blocks fitted between said link blocks at a forward edge of the mat, said blocks presenting forwardly in clined surfaces and equipped with provision ior uniting the same to correspondingly shaped blocks of another mat portion reversely arranged.

2. A mat, composed of link blocks built up of died out pieces of sole leather or like material, and assembled on cross rods in alternating relation, and blocks iitted between said link blocks at a forward edge of the mat, said blocks presenting forwardly inclined surfaces and formed with transverse holes intermediate said inclined surfaces adapted to receive holding pins to unite said blocks to another series of blocks of another mat portion reversely disposed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. 

